![\"seasonal](\"http:\/\/www.urbanfloor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/seasonal-gapping-hardwood-floor-tips.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
With summer approaching quickly, we wanted to cover an aspect of flooring that is perfectly natural \u2013 often referred to as \u201cseasonal gapping\u201d. Seasonal gapping involves both wintertime and summertime, where hardwood floors undergo changes that often tend to cause worry in consumers. Have no fear, Urban Floor is here.<\/p>\n
Today we will teach you how to deal and prepare with year round seasonal gapping. But first, we\u2019ll explain exactly what occurs during this process.<\/p>\n
To help you better understand this phenomenon, we\u2019re going to use our skin as an example. When our own skin loses moisture, we become dried out. When we\u2019re dried out, we\u2019re more susceptible to cracked skin, etc. Hardwood floors are similar in this regard \u2013 however, a cracked floor due to severe lack of moisture is very rare.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s likely to happen in this scenario is your floors will lose moisture and then shrink in size \u2013 causing gaps. This typically occurs during winter when the weather is dry. These gaps tend to close up on their own during summertime when moisture is restored to the boards.<\/p>\n
Wider boards will gap more than narrow boards, and some species will shrink less than others (e.g. a 5\u201d Hickory will shrink more than a 5\u201d oak plank). Also, Square edges will show more gaps than a beveled edge.<\/p>\n
Now that we\u2019ve briefly described this natural process, we\u2019ll educate you on how to handle the situation.<\/p>\n
In-Home Humidifiers<\/em><\/strong> – <\/em>Humidifiers keep the relative humidity (RH) levels in your home at an acceptable range enough to minimize seasonal gapping – 30-50%. The alternative is to accept the gaps and wait until summer for them to close up. We highly recommend investing in a humidifier for your hardwood floors.<\/p>\n